Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-09-23

! Supervising Architect of the Treasury for
| the construction of the new public build
! ing at Fort Scott, Kan. The bidders
were: Justin Mccarthy, Washington
| SOS, $50; George w. Goodlander, Chicago
| $65, 200, and Rice 4 Bassett, Chicago
S54, $50. The contract was to-day award
ed to the last mentioned firm.
Mr.. L. B. Sargent, of the English civil
service commission, has written to the
civil-service commission, here stating
that he intends to visit Washington, and,
| although coming unofIicialIy, he would
like TO com pare our civil service methods
with those of England. He has been IN
vited TO call upon the commission when
he reaches Washington.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12--Acting secre-
tary of the treasury has Informed the
commissioner of agriculture that a
report from the United States consul At
Picton, n. S., received through the de-
partment of state, says dangerous con-
tagious disease exists in Nova Scotia
among cattle, and sheep, which threatens
the whole of Canada, aud may sp-eat to
the United States.
GEN. JoHN C. BLACK, commissioner of
pensions, in his annual report to the sec
retary of the interior makes the following z
important suggestions:
Il. The allowance of 81 per month TO
minor children entitled TO pension is in
adequate for their support and should be
increased to So per month.
"2. That the act of June 16, 1880, be so
amended as to permit the benefits of the
act to be extended to those who subsequent
TO the date of its approval from aggrava-
tion of their malady may have become
helpless.
"3. That the existing law that a
widows pension certificate can only bear
date from the day on which she files her
application, should be amended to allow
:he commencement of the pension to date
from the death of her husband, the other
conditions required by the law being pres
cnt.
81. That section 4,718 of the Revised
Statutes be SO amended as to prohibit
the payment of more than one pension
to the same person.
80. That the law requiring a pension
TO be granted according to the rank of
the claimant at the time the injury was
received should be amended so that the
rank subsequently acquired bona fde
may be considered by the commissioners
in determining the amount of pension to
be allowed.
"6. That the present rate for deafness
should be increased to $50 per month for
total deafness, with intermediate grades
10 be determined according to the degree
of disability.
81. That discretion should be lodged in
the commissioner of correcting discrep-
aHcies in the rates of pension for loss
of limbs or congress should be asked to
establish table of rates for loss of limbs.
'8. That the law be amended SO that
the commissioners shall be authorized to
to pay the pension to the wife of a pen
siOner or TO some suitable person on be
half of his children, when the habits of
the pensioner show him TO be an unfit
person 10 receive or disburse the pen
sion.
SO. That an appropriation of $4,000
be made to defray the expenses OF pen
sion agencies.
"l0. That an additional clerical force
be allowed to enable the commissioner,
without making extra demands upon the
clerks now III service, TO complete and
classify the Mexican claims, of which
$500 have been allowed since the passage
of the act"
The report shows that there were at
the close of the year 406,001 pensioners.
There were added to the rolls during the
year the names of 30, lO4 new pensioners
and the names of 2,707 whose pensions
had been previously dropped were re-
stored to the rolls. During the same
period the names of 1857 pensioners
were dropped frem the rolls. The aggre-
gate annual value of all pensions is 49,,
S24,641. The amount paid for pensions
during tho year was $73,465,5S1, an in
crease in amount over the previous year
of $S,669,750. During the year 55, 1874 or
igiual certificates were issued. The esti-
mates for the fiscal year ending June 81,
1888, aggregate 5000. 23O.